Jean Roberts

Hot Topics

The section of my website includes Hot Topics that are relevant to the not for profit sector, as well as small and medium enterpises, please leave your comments and thoughts on the topics discussed.

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For small and medium commercial and nonprofit workplaces, creating a learning environment is both an opportunity and a challenge.  As with on-the-job training and on-the-job mentoring, on-the-job coaching can support such opportunities and challenges.

 Three desired outcomes from on-the-job coaching…

Scenarios provide a rich framework for on-the-job mentoring. 

Using a scenario in a mentoring relationship enables both parties to examine a familiar situation (whether need, problem, challenge or opportunity) from a different perspective.  Examples include changing:

• the ‘people’ factor,

…

There is an academic and theoretical definition and use of ‘case study’ and ‘scenario’: however, their application to on-the-job training needs to be loosened substantially to allow a practical discussion on such matters as:

• identifying problems or difficulties
• examining

…

These are my brief notes from the very early 1990s – and they are even more relevant today:

Major signs of business failure:

• financial ratios
• lack of cashflow forecasting
• lack of financial information
• creative accounting
• trading irregularities
• non-financial signs:

…

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MONITORING

• Jean’s activities during Summer 2009/10
• The art and science of Monitoring
• Monitoring job satisfaction at governance level
• Monitoring the bottom-line
• Monitoring burn-out

Download JRUpdate January/February 2010 (PDF)

PLANNING FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Contents

• Let’s look at the ‘uncertain future’
• know and understand your business or organisation as it is today through the lens of RISK
• know and understand your business or organisation as it is today

…

These three qualities are equally valuable and important in relation to any level of research.  This is an extract from my 2008 book, One Man Show – the smallest of small business.  This book features my and Shakespeare’s experiences as sole…

There is a growing expectation by governments and philanthropic leaders that the business or corporate sector in general – and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in particular within that sector – will willingly, financially and organisationally embrace the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

What is a decision?

• the selection, or process of selection, of a course of action from a range of possible
  alternatives
• a judgement, conclusion or resolution reached or given: firmness of purpose or character: determination

…

It seems as though the nonprofit sector is in a constant state of change!

Extract from Chapter 6 of my e-book,
Riding the Waves of Community Development from the 1970s

The speed with which change is introduced can be…